The following statement of the number of suicides which have

oc- curred in Westminster for each year from 1812 to 1831 inclusive, has been drawn up from official documents by Mr. Higgs, the Deputy Co- roner. The total number of suicides during that period is 489, and in- cludes eight cases offelo de se—seven men and one woman. The number of men destroying themselves to women is nearly as three to one, there being 359 men to only 180 woman. In very many cases, Mr. Higgs observes, the insanity which led to suicide was decidedly brought on by intoxication. The following is the return for each year.

1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818

From the Parliamentary returns it appears, that the population of Westminster, in 1811, was 160,801; in 1821, 181,444; and in 1831, 202,809. Upon arranging the suicides according to the months in which they occurred during this aggregate of years, Mr. Higgs found that November was the month of' all the year in which the least number of suicides took place.

Thus, June and July (each 53) 106 January 48 March 46 February 41 December 39 April 38 May

37

October 35 September 34 August 33

No ..-ember

32

_

989

The temperate months comprising the least number, it might appear that extreme heat or cold may affect the constitution, and render persons predisposed to insanity, more liable to sudden attacks of that disease.

24 1819 26

1826 31

26 1820 .. .. 19 1827 26 23 1821 20 1823 32 30 1822 18 1829 30 26 18.23 32 1830 28 17 1824 21 1831 28 18 1825 24